Container construction



y 14, 1940- R. E. SCHMIDT 2.200.900

CONTAINER CQNSTRUCTION Filed March 3, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l i 0;; W/M i7 v. a; a6 38 Jr'werzhr May 14, 1940. 1 i R, sc M 2,200,900

CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 5, 1938 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 14, 1940- R. E. SCHMIDT CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 3, 195a 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 111!"lull/(lulu!!!lllllllllllllllllllll 7III//////////////I/I.V/I/W/lp UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,200,900 CONTAINER -cous'rauo'rrou Robert E. Schmidt, Elgin, 111., assignor to Elgin Butter Tub Company, a corporation oi Illinois Application March 3, 1938, Serial No. 193,704

7 Claims.

My invention relates to receptacles or containers and to devices that are similar thereto.

My invention relates more particularly to shipping and storage receptacles or containers for food products or other materials which are of a perishable nature and which are at present shipped or stored in containers made of wood or metal.

Some of the perishable products which are at present being shipped in wooden tubs or containers are butter, lard, oleo-margarine, creams, greases, and other similar semi-solid materials. Food products such as butter and lard have for years been shipped, stored and dispensed from wooden tubs which are of necessity of a comparatively heavy construction to avoid breakage'during shipping and to insure a satisfactory receptacle for the purposes mentioned.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved container or receptacle preferably in the form of a cylinder, that is constructed of a compressible material such as paper, fiber board, plastic compound or any other similar composition of homogeneous material. It

is to be understood however that the container or receptacle of my invention may be of any desired shape or size.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved container of the type described provided with reinovable end sections.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of end section capable of manual removal but incapable of removal by reason of rough handling, such as dropping, pushing or striking.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved container of the type described provided with an improved top or bottom section adapted to be telescopically received within the end of the container and firmly held in position by a band or retainer member placed about the exterior of the container.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved end closure member for containers of the type described capable of being fixedly held in operative position by an exterior band or retainer member.

A further object of the present invention is to provide end closure members which may be constructed of any of the materials heretofore mentioned or of wood, yet which though constructed of any of the materials, is equally as capable of performing its functions as though it were constructed of wood or metal.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description, wherein reference is had to the accompanying two sheets of drawings, upon which Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a receptacle or container constructed in accordance with 5 my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of the container shown in Fig. 1 with parts broken away to illustrate in more nearly natural size the proportions of the parts; 10

Fig. 3 is a similar fragmentary view showing a modified form of end closure;

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary sectional view showing a still further modified form of end closure member; 15

Fig, 5 is a diagrammatic view on an enlarged scale showing the actual deformation of the container when the enclosure member shown at the top of Fig. 2 has been placed in position; and

Fig. 6 is a similar diagrammatic View on an 20 enlarged scale showing the manner in which the container is deformed when an end section like that shown in Fig. 4 has been placed in position in the container.

In the embodiment of the invention which I 25 have chosen to illustrate, I have shown a cylindrical container It which may be constructed of any kind of compressible material such as wood, paper, fiber board, plastic compound or any other similar composition or homogeneous material. 30 The container It may be provided with end closure members l2 and It. The end closure member l2 may preferably be constructed of the same material as the container and is adapted to be telescopically and irictionally mounted in the inside of the container Ill having a disc-like base portion l6, an upwardly turned flange portion i8 and an outwardly turned flange portion 20. The flange I8 is adapted to be of a size suiiicient so that when the closure member is pushed into the end of the container it will frictionally bear against the inside wall Illa. of the container and slightly compress the same, thus forming the container to the shape of the closure member. After the top closure member l2 has been placed in position as shown, I provide an exterior metallic band member 22 formed with an inwardly turned flange portion 24 and an outwardly extended flange portion 26 adjacent its lower end. The band member 22 is preferably of a diameter 50 slightly less than the exterior diameter of the container Ill so that when the same is placed over the end 01 the container it will compress the container slightly and frictionally engage the outside wall of the container throughout its entire surface. In this manner the closure member I2 is placed over the end of the container with a positive frictional engagement or press flt upon both sides of the wall of the container.

The bottom wall or closure member 14 may be of the same type as that Just described. However, it is sometimes desirable to have a more rigid bottom wall portion. When this is desired, the closure member [4 is used. It may comprise a wooden disc 28 provided with a metallic band or ring member 38 secured thereto. The band 38 may be formed with a circular flange 32 engaging the outside of the disc 28 and an upper downwardly turned flange 34 engaging the top of the disc 28. I provide an inwardly turned annular flange 36 below the disc 28 and a downwardly and outwardly extended lower flange 38. The closure member I4 is thus mounted in the bottom of the container i8 and is of a size to provide frictional engagement around the entire periphery of the same against the inner wall of the container I. To insure secure fastening of the closure member in the container, I provide a similar band member 22 adapted to frictionally engage the exterior wall of container I 8 and fit over the outwardly turned flange 38.

In the packaging of some food products it is desired to provide the base liner member L over the bottom wall of the container, and this may be rigidly held in position by being placed about the disc and frictionally held between the disc 28 and the container i0.

In the modification of my invention which I have shown in Fig. 3 I have provided a closure member 40 constructed of a fiber or wooden disc member 42 and a metallic edge member 44. The edge member 44 may be rigidly fastened upon the disc 42 and have a lower inwardlyturned flange 48, an edge portion 48, an upper inwardly turned groove portion 50 and a flat flange portion 52 adapted to seat upon the edge of the container Hi. This closure member, similar to the other described, compresses the wall of container l0 and frictionally engages the inside of the container i8 and is fixedly held in position by theiexterior ring member 22 which also slightly compresses the wall of the container from the outside.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified form of construction in that I have provided a top closure member 28 similar to that shown as a bottom closure in the container illustrated in Fig. 2. It will thus be apparent that any one of the types of closure member which I have described may be used with equal success for either end of the container.

The important feature of the closure members which I have shown and described is the fact that they are frictionally engaging both the interior and the exterior wall of the container by the combination of the closure members l2 or H and the exterior ring member 22. By this action the wall of the container I0 is compressed, as clearly shown in the enlarged diagrammatic Figs. 5 and 6.. In Fig. 5 the action which takes place when using the compounded closure member I2 is clearly shown and in Fig. 6 the action which takes place when using a rigid closure member with an external band spaced from the end is clearly shown. It will be observed that the band 32 forms a croze or groove in the interior wall of the container l0 between the edges of the band 32 shown on Fig. 6 and indicated as C'. It will upon both sides of the same so that any action such as dropping, rolling or bouncing of the container, either upon its edge or upon its side to provide an unusual strain, instead of loosening the end members, tends to more tightly wedge the edge of the container between the elements described.

With the metal rings which I have provided about the closure members and which are securely fastened to the same by riveting, welding, or other similar means, there is no possibility of expansion or contraction of the closure members. It follows therefore, that the closure members vfor the ends of the container are always proinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many and varied changes, may be made in the-exact details shown, and I do not wish to limit myself in any particular; rather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A container comprising a hollow body por- I tion having an open end, said body portion having its walls formed of compressible material, a head portion for an open end of said body portion, said head portion being telescoped into the end of the body portion, said head portion of a permanent size and having .a metallic edge enclosing band, said band having a ledge bent over the top of said head portion, the continuation of said upper ledge in the same plane as said band and terminating in an outwardly directed shoulder portion adapted to rest upon the edge of said body portion, and a compressing member in the nature of an enclosing rim member of a preformed shape capable of being fastened about the outside of said body portion and formed with an inwardly turned ledge adapted when said rim is in position to rest upon the outer surface of the shoulder of said metallic edge member, said rim member adapted in position to compress the walls of said body portion and form a croze in the inside surface of the same spaced from the end and conforming to the size of the edge enclosing band of said head portion.

2. A container comprising a hollow body portion having an open end, said body portion having its walls formed of compressible material, a head portion for an open end of said body portion, said head portion being telescoped into the end of the body portion, said head portion of a permanent size and having a metallic edge enclosing band, said band having a ledge bent over the top of said head portion, the continuation of said ledge terminating in an outwardly directed shoulder portion adapted to rest upon the edge of said body portion, and a compressing member in the nature of an enclosing rim member of a preformed shape capable of being fastened about the outside of said body portion and formed with an inwardly turned ledge adapted when said rim is in position to rest upon the outer surface of the shoulder of said metallic edge member, said rim member adapted in position to compress the 75 walls of said body portion and form a croze in the inside surface of the same spaced from the end and conforming to the size of the edge enclosing band of said head portion.

3. A container comprising an enclosure member in the form of an open ended cylinder constructed of comparatively rigid compressible material having a rigid end closure member telescoped in its end, said closure member having a cylindrical flange adapted to frictionally engage the inner wall of said cylindrical member spaced from the end, a transverse flange overlying the end of said cylinder and a metallic band member having a flange overlying the transverse flange on the end of said closure member and a portion adapted to frictionally engage the outer wall of said cylindrical member and compress the same whereby an annular portion of said cylindrical member spaced from the end is compressed between said cylindrical flange and a portion of said metallic band member.

4. A container made 01 compressible material and in the form of an open ended cylinder, said cylinder having an end closure member constructed of a wooden disc with a rigid metallic edge thereon, said closure member telescoped in an end of said cylinder, said closure member having a cylindrical flange adapted to irictionally engage the inner wall of said cylinder a spaced distance from the end and a transverse flange resting on the end and a metallic band member having a flange overlying the transverse flange of said closure member and a rim portion adapted to frictionally engage the outer wall of said cylindrical member, said rim portion adapted in position to compress the walls oi said cylinder and form a croze in the inside surface of the same spaced from the end and conforming to the size of the metallic edge of said closure member.

5. A container made of compressible material and in the form of an open ended cylinder, said cylinder having one closed end and having an end closure member in the form of a disc at the other end with a rigid metallic edge about said disc, said closure member telescoped in the end of said cylinder with said edge spaced from the end, a transverse flange on said closure member resting on the end of said cylinder and a metallic band member for the end of said cylinder having a rim portion adapted to engage the outer wall of said cylinder, said rim portion adapted in position to compress the walls of said cylinder and form a croze in the inside surface of the same spaced from the end and conforming to the size of the metallic edge of said closure member.

6. The combination with an open-ended cylindrical container having its walls formed of compressible material of a rigid head member for said open end, said head member having a ledge portion overlying the end of said container, a body portion slightly larger than the inner diameter of said container pressed into the end of the same and spaced from the edge and a rim member having an inwardly turned flange adapted to be fastened over the open end and side of-said container, said rim member slightly smaller in diameter than the outer diameter of said container whereby when said head member and said rim member are in position on said container an annular croze is formed in the inner wall of the container spaced from the end.

'7. The combination of an open-ended cylindrical container having its walls constructed of compressible material, a rigid head member, said head member applied to the open end of said container and having a flange telescoped therein and spaced from its end, a ledge portion on said head member adapted to over-lie the edge of the open end of said container and position said flange within the container a pre-determined distance from its open end and an enclosing rim member of a pre-formed shape capable of being fastened about the outside oi. said container, said rim having an inwardly turned flange adapted when said rim is in position to rest upon the ledge portion of the head member, said rim member" adapted to compress the walls of said container and-form a croze in the inner wall of the same, conforming to the size of the flange on said head member.

ROBERT E. SCHMIDT. 

